


The Night that Changed Him

by imaginess



Series: Parenthood [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Adoption, Angst, Baby Max, Husbands, M/M, Magnus loves Alec more than anything ever, Malec, Marriage, Oneshot, Parenthood, Parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2018-05-05
Packaged: 2019-05-02 16:48:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14549070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginess/pseuds/imaginess
Summary: Alec had seen some terrible things in his life. Demons, werewolf attacks, possessions, all of it he had carried with him for weeks after the encounter. But that night he would carry with him for the rest of his life.Or: When Alec finds an abandonned newborn warlock and it changes him forever.





	The Night that Changed Him

Alec had seen some terrible things in his life. Demons, werewolf attacks, possessions, all of it he had carried with him for weeks after the encounter. But that night he would carry with him for the rest of his life.

He and Jace had been out on patrol. As Head of the Institute and Head of Security respectively, both men had better things they could be doing with their time. However, the shadowhunters had both been itching for a night away from diplomacy and routine. They had been delivered reports of demonic energy patterns near the docks and had taken the assignment for themselves.

They had traced the source of the energy to an alleyway. From there it had been easy to hone in on one of the dumpsters, from within which an odd sound had been echoing.

Both shadowhunters had had their weapons drawn as they approached, and Jace had signalled for Alec to open the bin.

The eldest Lightwood had thought his eyes were playing tricks on him when he swung open the lid. He had frozen for a beat, waiting to make sense of what he saw before springing into action. He had shouted for his parabatai’s help and instantly sheathed his arrow and quiver.

Jace had been by his side as he reached into the dumpster. Alec had carefully lifted a bundle of rags out of the bin, causing his brother to express his confusion beside him. Alec had no words for his parabatai, merely holding the bundle to his chest and peeling aside one of the tattered rags. Jace had exclaimed something at the sight of the newborn infant, but all Alec could do was stare.

Jace had been just as shocked as he, but had reacted much quicker. He was on the phone with the institute in seconds as Alec stood, holding the impossibly-small baby in shaking hands.

Alexander Lightwood had seen many things, but nothing had chilled him to the core as much as seeing that tiny little arm from beneath the pile of rags in that dumpster.

Jace was talking frantically into his phone, but none of it had registered with the eldest Lightwood. The infant had been awake when he lifted him, but had since drifted asleep. Alec could remember the feeling of dread that overcame him when shallow, shuddering breaths had started to wrack through the tiny body. Alec had held him closer and finally snapped out of his shock when Jace grabbed his arm.

“Come on, Alec. We need to get him to the Institute now.”

That night had been one of the worst of his life. The medics were good at their job, and got the baby warm and hydrated as quickly as possible. Alec had never left the infant’s side, a perk of being the Head of the Institute.

Under the fluorescent lighting of the infirmary, Alec had noticed for the first time that the boy’s skin was blue in colour, not unlike Magnus’ friend Catarina. The medics had gawked at this for several minutes, which had prompted Alec to snap an order at them to do something.

When the medics had finished caring for the baby, they had left Alec alone in the infirmary. Before leaving they had submitted their report that the baby was indeed a newborn, mere hours old by their estimates. He was also a warlock, although that much had been obvious. Thanks to their intervention the infant was now stable, though he wouldn’t have lasted much longer in the cold New York night.

Jace had come and gone, informing Alec that he had sent a fire message to Magnus when they’d returned. Alec had nodded and thanked his brother. His husband was out of the country on business in the Middle East, and Alec knew he would have trouble getting back quickly.

The shadowhunter’s phone had been buzzing since getting back to the Institute, but he hadn’t checked it. He supposed he should return the messages and submit a report on their mission, but he couldn’t. The Head of the Institute couldn’t bring himself to do anything other than sit at the side of the infirmary cot and watch the baby’s small blue chest rise and fall.

The infant had been sound asleep, his long dark lashes casting shadows on his perfectly round cheeks. The baby was premature, and as such his features were even smaller than an average newborn. He had a button nose and a dusting of dark hair on his head. Alec reached into the cot and gently stroked the back of the baby’s hand with one finger.

The boy had been on this earth for mere hours and someone had left him in a dumpster to die.

Alec hadn’t known whether he was going to cry or be sick. He had wanted to find whoever did this. He’d wanted to yell and scream, to defend this helpless, innocent, newborn child from this act of pure evil.

When Magnus Bane had entered the infirmary twenty-odd minutes later, his rushing steps had stopped short at the sight of his husband.

Alec had been leant over the edge of a cot with his arm inside. He was completely still, and he had rarely ever looked so tired. He was staring into the cot with an empty expression. When Magnus took a hesitating step forward, the shadowhunter looked up at him. Magnus’ breath hitched when he noticed a single tear track down the side of his lover’s face, though he wondered if Alec had even known he was crying.

“Magnus.”

Years later, Magnus would still think about this moment. He would remember embracing the man he loved, comforting him without words. He would remember setting eyes on his son for the first time, impossibly small and peacefully asleep in his cot.

More than anything he would remember falling deeper in love with a man who couldn’t fathom how a person could look at a warlock child, it’s demonic mark on full display, and not see anything but a perfect, innocent baby.

Weeks, months, and years later, Alec would grow silent and get a look on his face that Magnus would recognize as coming back to this night. It would happen in the happiest moments, the day-to-day, and the milestones.

Their son, laughing gleefully, would be smacking a chubby, spaghetti-covered hand against Magnus’ cheek when he lifted him from his high chair, and Alec would go still. Magnus would look over at him, seeing the vacant expression that indicated he was back at the lid of the dumpster, holding the fading infant and fearing for his life.

Magnus knew his lover could never understand how someone, a mother, could look at their boy and chose to toss him aside. To Alec their son would only ever be a beautiful, happy child who deserved nothing short of the world.

Magnus knew all too well how warlock children could be treated before they learned to glamour. For himself, he learned the art quickly, leaving only his mother and stepfather with the knowledge that he was unnatural. They had treated him with fear, hatred, and disgust, and he had grown up with the knowledge that he was different and evil.

Their son would never know that childhood. From the moment Alexander had first held him, he had known nothing but unconditional love.

Magnus had never before experienced the kind of fierce love he had for his son. He would take bullets and move mountains for the months-old child.

The warlock had also never known love like the one he had with Alec. He admired him, adored him, and respected him. He watched him raise their son and knew, without a doubt, that this would be the last and greatest love of his life. 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! It feels weird saying this is my first Malec fic since I wrote for book Malec back in 2010 or something ridiculous. But this is my first fic on AO3 that I hope is somewhat decent.  
> I will probably be posting more oneshot parenthood fics in the future.  
> Edit: Check out my new fics: “Downworlder” and “Well Done/More Like Medium Rare”.


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